The vote to fire [Louis R. Nickinello] yesterday was 4-2, with the two remaining Kingappointees, E. Paul Robsham and [John W. Arata], in opposition. The vote to rehire [David W. Davis] was 4-1-1, with Arata abstaining and Robsham opposing."

Board members [Robert M. Weinberg], John Vitagliano and Arthur Gelb, all first-termappointees of [Michael S. Dukakis] who voted to fire Nickinello, seemed to go out of their way to say kind things about the departing executive director.

Robsham, a longtime friend of Nickinello's, said the motion to fire Nickinello was "extremely rude" and that he felt "very strongly that (Davis' * return to the authority would be a very grave mistake."

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